A/N: For the Writing Challenge Round Four (unofficial entry) on PokeWrite, with the pairing lightningpearlshipping (Ash's Pikachu and Dawn's Piplup) and the prompt birthday.

Make it Round Three

The teasing snatches of wind promised mischief towards the day, but only those most attune to its voice could sense its playful intent. Piplup was an aquatic Pokemon, its fur pressed down by a thin layer of oil in all but the most unbearable conditions, and so he heard only the whispers of a gentle breeze. Pikachu, a land mammal, felt his fur rising in curious anticipation; he could smell no danger ahead nor was it particularly cold, however there was something in the air that made him stand a little straighter and take notice. Of what exactly, he did not know.

Ash, Brock and Dawn were oblivious, the lattermost at the stream washing up while the boys got breakfast ready. Ash had fetched the firewood earlier, and was now searching through Brock's backpack for their human-sized bowls and spoons. Half a dozen dishes for Pokemon food came out, followed by the sheet they spread out on nice dry days. They were all placed to the right with a soup bowl, while the other – and slightly more worn – three lay to his left. The fourth bowl had been a necessity when Max had joined them back in Hoenn, and Brock had purchased one as soon as they were out of the Petalburg Woods.

The spoons it appeared had fallen to the bottom of the backpack, and that would normally not be a problem with a meal for three humans and thirteen Pokemon requiring almost the entire bag to be emptied (and thensome if they had guests). However, for just the three humans it made getting the finer things a little difficult, but Ash was not one to give up, nor did he want to get on the wrong side of Brock by dumping his bag's contents over the floor of their tent.

The clatter attracted the two Pokemon and they peeked through the flap, abandoning the morning wind, and when the bowls Pikachu and Piplup had claimed for themselves (marked and therefore subtly different from the others) joined the pile on the right momentarily before being returned when the left hand victoriously clutched three spoons, they raised their voices for an explanation.

'Chu…' The yellow mouse twisted its mouth into a frown, black nose twitching slightly. 'Pika-chu…'

'Pip – Pip-lup.' The blue penguin's reaction was a little more energetic, bouncing on the balls of his feet. No doubt, if it were Dawn instead of Ash, Piplup would be grasping – or tugging rather – at clothes or flesh.

'Relax guys.' Ash flashed a grin at the pair as he started piling the bowls back into Brock's backpack. 'We've got a lot of things to do in the next town so we have to eat fast, but you guys will be hanging out here for the day.'

'No need to worry though,' Dawn's voice added from outside, and Piplup went out to his partner. 'We've got a surprise planned.'

'Pika?' Pikachu cocked his head.

Ash put a finger to his lips. 'No telling,' he said quietly, so that Piplup wouldn't here.

'Pi-ka.' Pikachu cocked his head, confused as his partner patted the light fur on his head and finished his job.

Brock's announcement that breakfast was ready distracted them all, and the two Pokemon waited patiently as their humans gulped down the soup.

'Now, behave yourselves while we're gone,' Dawn said sternly, looking at Piplup, who patted his chest, then Pachirisu who was chasing and finally Buneary who was looking over at Pikachu. 'That means no fighting with each other, no pulling pranks or anything of the sort, or you'll be missing out on something special.'

'Sudo-wudo.' Brock's Sudowudo said brightly, raising an arm in salute.

The breeder-in-training laughed. 'You'll keep an eye on them, won't you Sudowudo.'

'Sudo-wudo,' Sudowudo agreed.

'Now…where's Croagunk.'

He spotted the poison type underneath a tree, and shook his head with a smile. 'Make sure you eat,' he called.

'Cro…' came the uninterested reply, but Happiny was already trotting over. 'Hap-happiny.'

'Behave yourself Happiny,' Brock ordered.

'Hap-' The egg Pokemon waved its little hands. 'Hap-happiny.'

Ash laughed at the pandemonium as he turned to his own Pokemon. 'Same goes for all of you. No causing trouble while we're gone, okay?'

There was a chorus of cries from the assortment, and the trio waved them off before picking up their backpacks and departing.

'We'll be back before lunch,' Brock said, raising his hand in a brief farewell. 'Don't wander off too far.'

The thirteen answered in one voice, sending the humans on their way.

Staraptor was peacefully perched at the top of a large tree, listening to the gentle melodies of the wind over the clatter of noise below with Chimchar hanging a few branches below. Gliscor had joined them, however the ground type Pokemon ultimately got along better with the earth than he did the sky, despite the gliders he bore. Below him was the occasional cackle of electricity from Pachirisu chasing the lights of her Discharge, a consequence of Pikachu coaching the other electric type.

On the ground, Pikachu was patiently explaining to the squirrel-type that her electricity needed to be more tightly controlled. The sparks gave off a nice glow, but the multi-coloured array he had pulled off in the Terracotta Contest was still absent. Buneary and Piplup were both curiously watching, along with Mamoswine who hid his own interest far better.

Unfortunately, Piplup was a water type and was twice as sensitive to electricity. Buizel and Staraptor were in the same boat, however the aquatic weasel was enjoying a morning at the stream and the bird was far out of range. So when Pachirisu's Discharge misfired, it was Piplup alone who took the hit.

The result was a sadly charred penguin and the wrong electric type feeling guilty. Pachirisu was too busy chasing pink and yellow lights to realise what her electricity had accomplished.

'Pika-' Pikachu scolded. 'Pika-pi pi-pikachu.'

Pachirisu ignored him completely in favour of the mini-fireworks display.

Piplup was not pleased by his teammate's lack of responsiveness, and he could feel heat rushing to his head as he opened his beak. 'Pip – Pip-lup!' One of his feet automatically stamped the ground for emphasis, but when the squirrel did nothing in response except look morosely for the now absent lights, Piplup started forward –

And accidentally stomped on Pikachu's tail as the electric mouse turned. Instinctively, the red sacks of electricity dispelled, and for the second time that morning the aquatic Pokemon found himself fried with electricity.

'Pip –' he croaked, falling on his back.

'Pi?' Pikachu sounded blank momentarily, before realising what had happened. 'Chuu. Pika-chu.' The ears dropped, and while Piplup couldn't see the yellow mouse directly from his position, he saw the shadow droop as well and heard the apologetic tone.

'Pip lup.' He lifted a fin and wagged it in a "never mind" gesture.

'Chuu…'

Happiny and Buneary were both laughing at the sight of a charred Piplup, and even Croagunk sounded as though it was stifling a snicker. And while Piplup was incensed by such things by nature, he could forgive the egg Pokemon. Happiny found almost everything amusing, staring from tossing Brock up into the air when the latter was trying give a bottle, to following wagging tails with a childish delight. Buneary on the other hand was not so forgivable.

Piplup jumped to his feet and pointed at the normal type. 'Pip Pip-lup!'

'Bun – Bun-eary,' Buneary chortled, hiding her nose in her fur.

'Pip-lup Pip-lup!' The penguin jumped up and down, before lowering its head and scrunching its stomach in preperation for a bubble-beam.

Sudowudo and Gliscor fled at the signs of a water attack, while Pikachu started forward. 'Pi-'

'Lup!' The bubbles shot forward, catching the electric mouse mid-stride as he attempted to placate the new quarrel, Pachirisu forgotten. 'Pip-lup! Pip-lup!'

'Pika-chu,' Pikachu winced, shaking his fur. While electric attacks were powerful against water Pokemon, the inverse was not true and water attacks had the same effectiveness as attacks of most other types. And an angry Piplup tended to equate to a powerful Piplup…although not a particularly accurate one, as Pikachu had in fact not been directly in front of Buneary when the attack struck.

Buneary abandoned her giggles and rushed over to Pikachu. 'Bun – Bun,' she said worriedly.

'Chu.' Pikachu waved her off, and Piplup, who had stopped coming over when the bunny had made her move, was secretly thrilled.

'Pip-lup,' he said, coming to Pikachu's other side and rubbing the injured fur gently. 'Pip Pip-lup.'

'Pika,' Pikachu said gratefully, with a small smile, turning his head.

Buneary glared at the blue penguin, and Piplup found himself feeling smug when an annoyed squawk from Staraptor cautioned them against more quarrelling. No-one wanted to get on the wrong side of the fully evolved bird of prey.

Chimchar suddenly let out a few 'Char' of excitement, swinging down to the ground the way only a monkey Pokemon could. A call of 'We're back' soon alerted the others as to the reason.

Chimchar jumped eagerly onto Ash's shoulder, and the black haired boy grinned. 'Have fun Chimchar?'

'Chim-char,' the fire type responded eagerly, before blinking as the ground shuddered with footsteps.

'Now, now,' the blue-haired coordinator laughed as the Pokemon – aside from a grouchy Mamoswine, Chimchar who had beaten them to the punch, Staraptor who was flying and Buizel who had followed them from the stream – ran at them with eager chitters. 'You'll find out where we were soon enough. Did you behave yourselves?'

There was a chorus of nods, although a few guilty looks and some exasperation from the older Pokemon ruined the innocent effect.

'Oh, really?' Dawn raised an eyebrow. 'So no-one was picking a fight?'

There was horde of replies, of which no-one could make heads or tails of.

'I guess it was too much to hope.' Brock shook his head, before leaving to inspect the Pokemon food. As expected, each and every bowl was empty. 'I hope at least everyone ate their own breakfasts.' He remembered when Mamoswine would swipe them all, or a cheeky Buneary would swipe Piplup's share.

'You did, didn't you?' Dawn looked especially severe, mostly since it was her Pokemon doing the swiping. 'If I find out that any of you took another Pokemon's share today when we were gone, you're not getting one little lick of my birthday cake.'

There was some confusion, and Pikachu smacking himself on the head with his tail as he finally understood Ash's earlier remark.

'No wonder none of you wished me a happy birthday,' Dawn sighed, looking at all the blank faces. 'Okay, so maybe I didn't mention it to the rest of you, but Piplup, you should at least know everyone gets their first Pokemon on their tenth birthday.'

'Pip-lup,' Piplup mumbled guiltily, having gotten distracted at too many things that day it seemed. His fur was starting to itch as well from the dual electrical shocks and the wind who thought it nice to play with. Sadly, his fins didn't make for good scratching tools.

'Piplup? Are you even listening to me?'

The wind whistling innocently was her only answer.

'Urgh, never mind.'